Longboard Division Added to Op Pro

A longboard surfing division has been added to the Op Pro championships, which begin Sunday at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The 16-surfer division will be held July 2-3, the final two days of the event. Quarterfinal heats of four competitors each will start at 12:20 p.m. July 2, followed by the semifinals. The top two surfers in each heat advance.

The finals begin at 12:30 p.m. July 3, along with finals for the men’s, women’s, junior amateur and tag-team divisions.

Prize money for the longboard division hasn’t been announced, event public relations director Mike Kingsbury said.

Although entries haven’t been received yet, several of the top longboarders are expected to compete, including defending world champion Joey Hawkins of Huntington Beach. More than 160 surfers are scheduled to compete in the contest.